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Broken Group Islands

Located on the west coast of Vancouver Island facing the waves of the Pacific Ocean, these islands are a maze of pocket beaches, exposed reefs, lagoons, thickly forested islands and bare, barren rocks. The outer islands are totally exposed to the force of the Pacific Ocean; the inner ones are the best for water activities.

This component of the Park encompasses an area of in the region of 130 square kilometres. The middle part of the Pacific Rim national Park is an archipelago of more than one hundred islands and rocks. The islands are scattered throughout Barkley Sound between Loudoun Channel and Imperial Eagle Channel and total 10,607 hectares, of which 1,350 hectares is land.

These islands are one of the three components of the Pacific Rim National Park. The Broken Group Islands have become a trendy destination for wilderness camping, sightseeing and boating. From the sandy beaches and quiet lagoons of the inner islands, to the sea caves of the outer shores, there is a lot of wildlife to see in this remote biosphere, and the word is spreading.

Paddlers from around the world come to this sheltered location. Even inexperienced sea kayakers can navigate these channels the channels in this region. The area is best accessed by boat and seen with tour guides that can be hired in Bamfield, Toquart Bay, Ucluelet or Port Alberni. The inner island area is protected from the extreme ocean conditions that batter more exposed sections of the west coast.

The Broken Islands Group is a group of small islands and islets in the middle of Barkley Sound on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The group is protected and is known as the Broken Islands Group Unit of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. This reserve includes Broken Islands Group along with the Long Beach and the West Coast Trail.

Kayaking the Broken Group Islands provides a true west coast experience in sheltered waters. Kayakers come to explore the tidal pools and observe marine life in the area. The marine wild life’s sheltered environment is attractive to first time paddlers wanting to experience the Canadian west coast.

Most kayaking tours of the Broken Islands usually make their way through the chain, stopping at designated campsites on the different islands. All of the different sites are easily reached within a day’s paddle of one another.

Some of the marine wild life found in Barkley Sound is home to whales, sea lions, bald eagles and a large variety and abundance of intertidal sea life including sea arches, sea urchins, sea anemones, sea cucumbers, and sea stars.